1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to coupling assemblies for use in surgical systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to coupling assemblies for electrically and mechanically interconnecting electromechanical surgical devices with an adapter assembly, which in turn is connected with a surgical attachment, such as, for example, a surgical loading unit. Surgical systems including hand held electromechanical surgical devices and coupling assemblies for reducing a total length of the surgical system and/or shifting a center of gravity of the surgical system proximally to a user are also provided.
2. Background of Related Art
A number of surgical device manufacturers have developed product lines with proprietary drive systems for operating and/or manipulating electromechanical surgical devices. In many instances the electromechanical surgical devices include a handle assembly, which is reusable, and disposable loading units and/or single use loading units or the like that are selectively connected to the handle assembly prior to use and then disconnected from the handle assembly following use in order to be disposed of or in some instances sterilized for re-use.
In certain instances, an adapter assembly is used to interconnect an electromechanical surgical device with any one of a number of surgical attachments, such as, for example, surgical loading units, to establish a mechanical and/or electrical connection therebetween. Presently, however, such surgical systems utilizing an adapter assembly are undesirably long, which can be problematic and/or inconvenient for particular surgical applications. For example, the center of gravity of the surgical system shifts further away from a practitioner's hand (i.e., distally) as the surgical system increases in length, thus leading to practitioner fatigue during use.
Accordingly, a need exists for a surgical system including a surgical device, an adapter assembly and a surgical attachment, wherein the surgical system has a reduced length as compared to that which is previously provided by the prior art.